Fibre Bragg gratings and their applications

Richard I.Laming and Michael N.Zervas

Abstract

Optical fibre Bragg gratings are the most significant new fibre device since the EDFA and will have a major impact on the design and implementation of future optical networks. Applications include single and multichannel add/drop filters, EDFA gain stabilising and spectrum flattening filters, dispersion compensation; as well as wavelength stable sources for WDM networks.

This tutorial will cover the key aspects of fibre gratings relevant to telecommunications applications. These include fabrication and processing, the pros and cons of the different host fibres as well as hydrogenation and their effect on stability. The design and performance of apodised, chirped and multistage gratings will be covered. Finally, significant emphasis will be given to the key applications of fibre gratings.